Safety device for railroad-crossings.



A. J. PAYNTER',

SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILROAD CROSSINGS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7. 19]].

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APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7. 191 1.

INVENT'OR A. J Pay/liar,

WITNESSE ATTORNEY ms mmms PCTERS cu. PHUfO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, o. L.

UNITED STATES PATENT; orrron ALBERT J. PAYN'TER, OF ALTON, KANSAS.,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT J. PAYNTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Alton, in the county of Osborne and State of Kansas, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices forRailroad-Crossings, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to improvements in safety devices for railroadcrossings, and contemplates the provision of a simple, re liable, andeffective crossing barrier and signal which will be automatically.operated by the passage of trains. It is further pro-n posed to improvethe operating mechanism by eliminating the use of electricity, and toincorporate therein a simple and effective device whereby thesignal-setting device will only be operated by a car passing in onedirection.

One embodiment of the invention whereby the above enumerated ends areeffected is described in the specification below and illustrated in thedrawings, the original features being pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings-* Figure 1 shows a railroad crossing provided with thebarrier and signal comprised in the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the signal arm and supportingstructure, showing parts of the mechanism for moving the arm to thesafety position, and the retaining device for the arm.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the arm and sup: porting structure.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating the portions of the settingdevice associated I with the track rail, and

Fig. 5 shows the tripping device and loose coupling in detail.

Referring to the drawings more specifically, the signal has a supportingstructure shown in the drawings as a post or standard 1 bifurcatedtoward the upper extremity for receiving the barrier and signal arm 2pivotally mounted toward one end for movement in a vertical plane bymeans shown as a biolt 3 passing through the arm and standar To normallyretain the arm 2 in an upward position indicative of safety, a catch 4is pivotally attached to the face of the standard 1 and provided with aspring 5 whereby it is maintained in the path of the long end of the arm2. The catch 4 is con- Specification of Letters Patent. 1

, Patented Oct. 1', 1913; Application filed December 7, 1917. Serial No.206,054. 4 4 I nected by a link 6 to a bell-lever 7 pivotally I mountedin the present instance on the side of the standard toward the base. iFrom the other arm of thebell-lever 7 suitable con necting means shownas a wire 8 extends to-' ward a contact element illustrated as a triplever 9 and the end of the wire 8 is aloose coupling 11 preferablyincluding a spiral spring 12 of suitablestrength to maintain the wire 8tightly stretched and a second spring 13 is provided, tending in theopposite direction to maintain the trip-lever '9 in the path of thewheels of a car.

It will be seen that in the passage of a car in one direction, thecatch/1 will be released to permit the long end of the arm to movedownward to a position indicative of danger, while in the passage of acar in the other direction no result will follow.

To restore the arm 2 to the upward position a lever 14 has one endpivotally mounted in proximity to the track and the other end extendedtoward the standard 1 and 2 provided with an upwardly disposed arm 15terminally connected by a link 16 to the the elevated position by thecatch 4 the lever is permitted free upward movementfwhile in thelowermost position of the arm the weight of the arm is sustained by thelink j horizontal -posij and lever to'maintain it in tion.

It will be obvious that by providing a second trip-lever disposed on theother side of the crossing and similarly connected to the catch, thedevice may be utilized for trains in either direction.

The herein-described embodiment of the invention is intended merely forpurposes of illustration, and is not to be interpreted as in any waylimiting the spirit or scope of I the invention, such limitation beingconfined to that indicated by the latitude of the claims.

Manifestly the arm? is adapted to serve the two-fold purposeof-signalarm and bar 1 rier, Fig. 1, though I do not limit myself to theemployment of an arm sufliciently long to serve as a barrier.

What I claim is 1. 'I he combination with a railroad crossing arm, of alever disposed-parallel to: a track rail and having linked connection atone end to-the arm, a pivotally mounted trip-bar overlying the leverwith one end in juxtaposition to the track rail, whereby in the passageof a car the leverwill be actuated to 'operatethe arm to safetyposition, means for retaining the armin the safety position,andcar-operated means forreleasing'the last-mentioned means to allow thearmto move to danger position.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for track rail and having linkedconnection to the, arm, a pivotally mounted trip bar overlying the leverwith one end in proximity to the rail, a spring pressed catch on the armsupport normally disposed in the path of the i arm to retain the arm inthe safety position,

a contact element pivoted in proximity to the track rail, connectingmeans between said element and said catch whereby in the actuation ofsaid element'by a car moving inone direction the catch will be displacedfrom the path of the arm, and a loose coupling in said connecting meanswhereby said contact element will not be aiiected by the actuation ofsaid element by a car moving in the other direction. 1

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. ALBERT J. PAYNTER.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

